Subject: Boomtown Bill
From:
raredance
Date: 06 Feb 00 - 10:30 PM
This is a not so well know Woody Guthrie song that was written during the time when the CIO was trying to organize oil field workers.
BOOMTOWN BILL (Woody Guthrie)
Come (G)all you oilfield workers
And (C)listen to my (G)tale,
I (C6)worked for Drake in (A7)Fifty Nine,
'way (D7)back in Titus-(G)ville,
"Twas the state caled Pennsylvania,
'twas the (C)Allegheney field,
Been (Am)chasin' oil fields (A7)ever since,
and my (D7)name is Boomtown (G)Bill,
I'm (Am) USA and (A7)CIO and my (D7)name is Boomtown (G)Bill.
I held down jobs of roustybout,
Ruffneck and driller too;
Coke knocker, gauger, fireman,
And I bucked that casing crew;
Fought fires with Happy Yowell,
I'm sure you know him well;
I've worked that cross and cracking still,
And my name is Boomtown Bill
I'm USA and CIO.....
Them walking beams and rotaries;
I know my rigs by heart,
I put your Kelly in your Rathole,
Take your Christmas Tree apart;
Gotta war ta lick them fascist rats;
This black oil's got to flow;
Best wat t'beat these nazis
Is t'join the CIO
I'm USA.....
I polished my bit in Texas dust;
Both these oceans and cross y'r plains;
Worked every field in forty nine states,
And I'm halfway back again;
Ten million CIO workers
Just natch'lly cain't be wrong;
We'll fight and win that union way,
And I know it won't be long.
I'm USA....
I've worked in wildest weather,
Both rain and sleet and snow,
I done all the dirty jobs,
But John Dee got my dough.
I don't know his company union,
And I know I never will;
I'm CIO from head to toe,
And my name is Boomtown Bill I'm USA....
I lit in Oklahoma
In that boom called Seminole;
Slushed mud in Louisiana
Down along that black Bayou;
I bailed my shale from Illinois
To th' west coast Signal Hill;
Every town I go, I'm CIO
And my name is Boomtown Bill.
I'm USA...
Across this rolling ocean
And this whole wide world around
My union brethren and sistren
They're beatin' old race hate down;
Yes, I'm an oil fiedl worker,
I'm a soldier in my field;
I'm a gonna bring peace to my oil field
Sure's my name is Boomtown Bill
I'm USA...
rich r
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sj
